An Investigation of Proving-Related Tasks in Geometry: The Case of Grade 8 Korean Textbooks

An Investigation of Proving-Related Tasks in Geometry: The Case of Grade 8 Korean Textbooks

Proof and reasoning, as one of five process standards, is well recognized as fundamental to student learning of mathematics and important in the field of mathematics as well as school mathematics. Despite calls for proof to play a central role in school mathematics, there have been studies which documented that not much of textbook is devoted to tasks in which students engage proving-related activities. This study was designed to investigate the nature of proving-related tasks in chapters where Euclidian geometry is covered at Grade 8 and examined all of the available textbooks in Korea. Proving-related tasks were examined with respect to how frequently proving-related tasks appear in textbook and what kind of proving-related activity students engage. Results of this study showed that the proportions of proving-related tasks varied greatly across textbooks ranging from 12 percent to 32.9 percent and the most frequent type of proving-related activity was testing the truth of a conjecture. Also, tasks coded for providing a proof were analyzed using the RGCP model and the results revealed that the vast majority of them was at the highest level of the model.